My Chosen
by A Thousand Undiscovered Stars
Summary: This is a one-shot that takes place during one of Zoey's dreams of Kalona in Tempted, but it's told from Nyx's perspective. What does Nyx think about everthing that's going on? How does the Goddess view her relationship with Zoey? Read to find out. Complete.


_Disclaimer: The House of Night belongs to P.C Cast and Kristen Cast, (sadly) not me..._

_A/N: So, this is my first House of Night story. I figured I would start out small with a one-shot. The story is told from Nyx's point of view as she's watching over Zoey in the Realm of Dreams during one of the times when Kalona has entered her dreams. Hope you like it!_

_**My Chosen**_

_I watched, invisible, as Zoey suddenly appeared, just as I had known she would. Kalona, my fallen Warrior, continued to enter my daughter's dreams as she slept in an attempt to entice her into abandoning me. This is particularly painful for me because, while I love all of my children, my vampyres, dearly, Zoey is special to me._

_I shook off my thoughts for the moment and watched as Zoey moved to look down over the edge of the castle and the cliff it rested on. I had to give Kalona credit: he did choose a beautiful place to draw my Zoey to. With its beautiful blue summer skies, sparkling ocean, and perfect weather it did seem the kind of place that anyone would love to dream about. Again, I was drawn from my musings, this time by the sound of his voice._

_"So it seems I cannot escape you, even when I flee your presence," Kalona said. He appeared behind Zoey and I could see the effect he had on her. She slowly dropped her outstretched arms to her sides but didn't turn around._

_"You're the one who sneaks around in people's dreams, not me," Zoey responded and I was proud of her for sounding calm and maintaining control of her voice though I knew that she was afraid to face him._

_"So, you are still unwilling to admit you are drawn to me?" he responded, making his voice sound deep and enticing. I knew that he would do so because, as much as it saddened me, I knew that he was merely attempting to seduce my precious daughter into surrendering to him and forsaking me._

_I realized that I had tuned out for a moment and refocused my attention as I heard Kalona speak again. "You are correct. All of those sons of man who swarm around you, eager to bask in your presence, are completely beneath my concern," he said haughtily with a smile. I frowned at his arrogance; I was sure that Zoey had said something completely unrelated. He had merely twisted her words to further his own purposes._

_I could feel Zoey attempting to wake up but Kalona was preventing her from doing so. "You chase me away from you, yet you find me in your dreams. What does that say about, A-ya?" he asked and I sighed in frustration._

_"That is not my name! Not in this lifetime!" Zoey snapped and again I was proud of her for standing up for herself. A-ya may be a piece of her soul and a part of her past, but Zoey was **not** A-ya. A-ya's sole purpose was to love and entrap Kalona; she had no choice. Zoey, however, did have a choice. I gave her her free will myself, just as I gave all my children that same precious gift. I smiled as I remembered that Zoey had once said something similar to "Sometimes, having free will sucks." On some counts, I would agree with her, but I knew that she would agree that free will is what made each person unique._

_I focused again on Zoey and Kalona's conversation. "Yes. I know I am the reincarnation of A-ya. But I am **today's** reincarnation of her, which means I make my own choices, and I will not choose to be with you," Zoey said and I smiled at her even though she couldn't see it._

_This is why I had chosen Zoey for the task ahead of her. She did make mistakes and even she didn't make the right choices all of the time. And, as she had once said to me "But I'm sixteen! I can't even Parallel Park! How am I supposed to know how to be your eyes and your ears?" True, she was seventeen, now, but I knew that she would still make the same protest. Zoey was far more capable than she realized. She was good and pure and true, and that is why I had chosen her. It was her decision. She could have chosen not to get involved, but I was so glad that she hadn't done so. Zoey was one of a kind and I cherished her love and devotion to me as I knew that she held tightly to my love for and my devotion to her. I was wrenched back into the present as I felt Zoey's panic and weakening resolve._

_I looked back to see Kalona standing tall over her in an attempt to sway her with his beauty. Even I was aware that he was extraordinarily beautiful, but I was faithful to my consort, Erebus. I could see the effect that he was having on my daughter. She was trying to stay strong but even she couldn't hold out forever. "I-I want you to step back," her voice shook although she tried to calm herself._

_Kalona was quick to take advantage of her weakness. "Is that truly what you want, Zoey?" I could see that his use of her true name had an effect on her and I thought for a moment of a way that I might be able to help her. I could sense that she was going to lie to him in order to try and get him to step back and I realized what I could do._

_"Use the power of truth," I whispered the words into her mind and I knew that she heard me and I saw it when she realized what I meant._

_"Right now what I really want is sleep. I want to be normal. I want to worry about school and paying my car insurance and how stupidly expensive gas is right now. And I'd seriously appreciate it if you could do anything about those things," Zoey said, drawing strength from those simple truths. I smiled sadly. She had already been through far more than most people or even vampyres would in their entire lives and she would have to go through more still. It was unfair to her, but I would always be here to watch over and to guide her, providing whatever support I could while still allowing her to decide her own path._

_My fallen Warrior's smile was mischievous. "Why don't you come to me, Zoey?" he asked and I shook my head. He was detrimental to his own cause. Had he truly listened to her, he may have realized that. Kalona was a good Warrior to me, for an immeasurable amount of time. He protected and served me faithfully, and he was the most obedient of all my companions. He was similar, in some respects, to Zoey actually. He was good, pure; kind. But he began to love me more than he should have. He turned his eyes and his thoughts from protecting me to possessing me. He even grew to hate Erebus and jealousy consumed him. When I finally knew of his feelings, I knew that I could never and would never reciprocate them. I told him that he mustn't feel for me in that way. That was the only time he ever disobeyed me. He refused to give up and acted against my Consort. Afterwards, I expelled him from my realm, and he fell. His wings turned from pure white to the black of a raven's wing. Still, I hoped that he might redeem himself, but he chose instead to ally himself from the Darkness which he had faithfully protected me from for so long. Yet, even now, I hope that he might someday redeem himself._

_A third time, I was drawn out of my thoughts by Zoey's panic. "You play a dangerous game, my little lost love," he said._

_Kalona was now standing quite close to Zoey, his hand on her cheek before he slowly slid it down her neck. I could tell that the coldness that emanated from him shocked her though she had felt it before._

_"You toy with me. You think you can act the schoolgirl who understands nothing more than the next dress she will wear or the next boy she will kiss. You have underestimated me. I know you, A-ya. I know you all too well," as he spoke his hand continued to slide down her body until he cupped her breast and caressed her gently. I drew a sharp breath, wishing that I could stop him but I knew that it must be Zoey's choice. She would have to break through the trance which he attempted to put her in._

_"No, please, stop," her voice was weak, but I was simply glad that she still had the will and the sense to resist him._

_"Stop? It seems you have lost your truth. You do not wish I would stop. Your body yearns for my touch. You cannot deny it. So shake off this foolish resistance. Accept me and your place by my side. Join me and together we will create a new world," he spoke in a voice as smooth as velvet but still she resisted him and I was proud._

_"If you do not join me you will be my enemy, and I will burn you with the rest of the chaff," he said, but I had a feeling that he was lying. Whether he realized it or not he cared too much for Zoey to kill her, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't enslave her if given the chance. As he had spoken his eyes had turned to gaze on my daughter's body as he caressed her and I could see the lust that he felt for her and I silently urged Zoey to fight as she trembled involuntarily._

_"This is a dream...only a dream. This is not real," she spoke mostly to herself._

_Kalona responded anyway. "Yes, you dream. Though there is truth and reality here, as well as your deepest, most secret desires. Zoey, in this dream you are free to do anything you wish – we can do anything you wish."_

_Zoey was silent but I heard her as she prayed to me. "Please, Nyx, let the power of this next truth wake me up," the words whispered through my mind much as I had sent my words to her before and I grinned now._

_"I do want to be with you. But the truth is no matter how bad I want you, I'm still Zoey Redbird and not A-ya, and that means in this lifetime I have chosen to follow Nyx. Kalona, I will not betray my Goddess by giving into you!" Zoey exclaimed in a strong voice and again I was overcome with love and pride for my beautiful daughter who had chosen me just as I had chosen her. And as she turned and jumped off the edge of the castle I reached out with my hand and freed her from the dream. I had only been unable to do so before because Zoey had to **choose** to wake and ask my help before I could give it. She vanished and in my mind I felt her awakening. The majority of my attention, however, was on Kalona._

_As Zoey fell, he screamed her name in terror, and began to cry. I watched as he knelt on the ground and I could see his pain as I was sure he was remembering his own fall my realm. He did not love Zoey, of that I was sure. However, he did care for her to some degree at least. It grieved me to see my fallen Warrior in so much pain but I knew that he had chosen Darkness as his master; there was nothing I could do to ease his pain lest he give up that foul pact and seek true redemption. I knew that he must be stopped. Many would doubt that he **could **be stopped, but I maintained faith._

_Zoey would be the one to stop him. She was strong, true, and pure. She was beloved by many, including me, and she had known the pain of true loss without allowing it to harden her. She was, as I had told her, my first true Daughter of Night. She was my Chosen, and she would not fail me, could not fail me so long as she continued to choose me, as I had Marked her as my own._

_**)( )( )( The End. )( )( )(**_

_**A/N: So, what did you think? Oh, all of the dialogue also belongs to P.C and Kristen Cast. Anyway, hope you liked it. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought! ;)**_


End file.
